DREADNOUGHTS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 800, 25 April 1910, Page 4

DREADNOUGHTS

I RECORD BRITISH NAVAL ESTIMATES. INCREASE OF .£5,500,000 AND 3000 MEN. Tho Navy Estimates and the Statement of the Lord Explanatory of the Navy Estimates were issued on, March 9 as two Parliamentary papers and show a great increase in naval expenditure. Tho figures are as follow: £ ■ 1910-11 40,003,000 .1903-10 ...... 35,142,000 Increase .'.... 5,401,000 The greater part of the increase is accounted for by tho shipbuilding voto: £ 1910-11 ....! 13,279,000 1909-10 8,885,000 Increase 4,394,000 The shipbuilding programme for tho present year as compared with' that of last year .is as.follows: . 1910-11. 1909.10. Dreadnoughts 5 8 Small cruisers 5 6 Destroyers 20 20 In addition, ten submarine boats costing .£750,000 are to bo ordered, as against six costing .£500,000 last year. Though not made clear in the First Lord's statement, inquiries have elicited the information that thW programme of five Dreadnoughts does not include , the two ships which are shortly to be laid down for Australia and New Zealand. Thus seven Dreadnoughts in all will be laid down this . year. ( In addition to the Dreadnoughts seven small cruisers are 'to be laid down for Canada and Australia, and-these ships will be a,vailablo for commerce protection in Canadian and Australian waters, thus relieving.tfio strain on the British Navy. Including these vessels the larger ships to be laid down this year are: Seven Dreadnoughts (five tor British Navy, ,two for Dominions).. .

• Twelve small cruisers (five for British Navy, seven for Dominions).

Canada and Australia; are also providing a. certain, number of submarines and destroyers, somo of which are to be built in England. ■ No details are given of, the design of the new ships, but the Dreadnoughts will probably be of' 22;500, tons, armed - each with; ten 12-in. guns.- -

, The following table . gives the programmes in largo'armoured ships of the leading naval Powers during the last 6ix years;:—.

.'. '05. 'CO. '07.' '03...'09. '10 T'l. England... 4 3 3 ' 2.8 7 27 Germany 3 3.3.4 ..4 4 21 TJ.S.A 2 0 2 2 , 2 2 10 Franco ...... 0 GOO 0 2 8

All the above ships are of the Dreadnought type, with the exception of the three German vessels laid down in 1905, and one in 1906.

, In the personnel of.the Fleet thero is an increase of 3000, the figures standing thus:— - '

1910-11—Officers and men 131,000 1909-10—Officors and men 128,000 But the strength of tho Fleet is still slightly below the figure of ■ 1901; which was 131,000. •'

Tho following table shows the ships Completed during tho past year and tho ships under construction on April 1, 1910:- , ' . "Completed" '• Now , . ' 1909-10., Building. Dreadnoughts '5 |.r: 10 Small cruisers . .....' 2" • 11 Destroyers 9 ,37 Torpedo-boats . 6 . 0 Submarines ..i....... 10 \ 9 .

, The mystery with regard to the two floating docks ordered last year is'cleared up. It is stated that' they will', be Kip'ablo of taking Dreadnoughts, that they will be stationed at Portsmouth and ill the Mcdwiiy, and that the- orders for' them havo bean . given to Messrs. - Cammell, Laird, and-C0.,. and Messrs. . Swan and, Hunter.; "

<• Officers .and,men : .are being, .trained, in aeronautics under the direction' of a captain. The experimental dirigible for' the Navy, will be completed', and ready for trials this'(Summer'at 'Barrow. A new dock is to' be built at Portsmouth for vessels of the largest size. The naval prison at Portsmouth is ■ to ba , closed•;. arid the. punishment of detention is as far as possible to be. substituted for that' of imprisonment for offences against, navai discipline. ' ,An. amount of .£263,000 is provided for tho ,aew> dockyard at Rosjrth.' A further expenditure .of £2,861,000; will, be required to oouinlete' the work - there in tuture years. '' CANADA'S ' NAVY. . 'v . Shortly after midnight pit March 10 the Canadian .House of Commons voted >on Mr. Monk's amendment to' tfho Premier's motion - for the second reading of. the Naval Bill. , This amendment called for a plebiscite on the Bill,. and only eighteen members voted for ■ it, I'he majority against being 157. The House then voted on an amendment proposed by Mr. Borden, Leader of the Opposition, calling for an emergency contribution of two .Dreadnoughts to Great Britain and. for- the; reference to the .people, of, the question, of Canada's permanent naval policy. The amendment was" negatived by 129 , votes to 74, a Government ipajority of 55. , ' . I

. The division was rendered remarkable by tho . fact that members broke'into singing the' National Anthem and "Rule, Britannia.". Vigorous cheers were raised for the King; Englishftnd'French, joining in them, with equal 'fervour.- • Members who > supported : Mr. Monk's policy included French. Conservatives and ten English-speaking . Conservatives. Thesa English members subsequently voted for Mr. Borden's amendment.

Mr. Verville, Labour-Liberal, voted for Mr. Mont's proposal, but otheririsa tha Government polled the solid party voto in both divisions, and got the support of six French aiid one English-speaking Conservative on: Mr. Borden's amendment.

It is understood that Sir "Wilfrid Laurier and Mr. Fielding will visit England in May. • ' ■ ■ ■ . . The Bill provides for eleven cruisers and destroyers, none of ; the ; ships to be of the Dreadnought class.